''Satuditha'' (; ) is a traditional Burmese

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

and merit-making activity that features prominently in

Burmese culture The culture of Myanmar (Burma) ( ) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Owing to its history, Burmese culture has significant influence over neighboring countries such as Laos, Siam, Assam in India, and Xishuangbanna regions in China. It h ...

, reinforcing the importance of

generosity Generosity (also called largesse) is the virtue of being liberal in charity (practice), giving, often as gifts. Generosity is regarded as a virtue by various world religions and List of philosophies, philosophies and is often celebrated in cultur ...

and

almsgiving Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' comes from the Old Engli ...

as a Burmese cultural norm.

Etymology

''Satuditha'' is the Burmese pronunciation of the

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

term ''catudisā'', which means the "four

cardinal directions The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the four main compass directions: north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W). The corresponding azimuths ( clockwise horizontal angle from north) are 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. The four ...

," in reference to the charitable act of offering free food or drink to those who come from the four points of the compass.

Celebrations

During major festivities such as

Thingyan Thingyan (/sɛŋkəmɑ/ ; , Old Mon language, Old Mon: သင်ကြာန် ), also known as the Myanmar New Year, is a festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan marks the transition from the old year to the new one, based on ...

Thadingyut Thadingyut () is the seventh month of the traditional Burmese calendar. The Myanmar term "thadin" (သီတင်း) means the Buddhist Lent (Vassa), which spans the three preceding lunar months and is the tradition of Buddhist monks trying to ...

, and

Tazaungdaing festival The Tazaungdaing Festival (, also known as the Festival of Lights and spelt Tazaungdine Festival), held on the full moon day of Tazaungmon, the eighth month of the Burmese calendar, is celebrated as a national holiday in Myanmar and marks the e ...

, donors throughout the country host ''satuditha'' feasts, preparing and handing out parcels of food or desserts such as

mohinga Mohinga (, ; also spelt mont hin gar) is the national dish of Myanmar. Mohinga is fish soup made with rice noodles, typically served as a hearty breakfast. It features a rich broth flavored with lemongrass, turmeric, and fish sauce, often garnish ...

mont lone yay baw Mont lone yay baw (; ; also spelt mont lone yay paw) is a traditional Burmese dessert commonly associated with the Burmese New Year, Thingyan season. The dessert plays an important role in Burmese history as it is a traditional snack served during ...

Thingyan rice Thingyan rice (, , Thingyan htamin; ) is a traditional Mon dish served during Thingyan, the traditional Burmese New Year. Thingyan rice is infused with water and commonly served with a salad of cured salted fish, which is blanched and fried with ...

shwe yin aye Shwe yin aye (; ) is a traditional Burmese dessert commonly associated with the Thingyan season. The dessert consists of sweetened sticky rice, sago pearls, pandan jelly noodles (cendol), and cubes of gelatine, coconut jelly, and a slice of whi ...

and mont let saung to revelers and passersby. ''Satuditha'' feasts are commonly held in conjunction with ''Nibban zay'' (နိဗ္ဗာန်ဈေး; ), whereby members of the community organise donation drives for food staples like rice, cooking oil, and onion utensils, which are then distributed to the needy.

References

{{Burmese cuisine Culture of Myanmar Eating parties

Etymology

Celebrations

See also

References